For many reasons, I think the Obama administration is making a big mistake on terrorism trials.
At first, Attorney General Eric Holder announced they were going to try Khalid Sheik Mohammed in federal court in lower Manhattan.
Which was absolutely the right thing to do. That’s where the first World Trade Center bombers were tried and convicted. Zacarias Moussaoui was also tried in federal court, in Alexandria. And Richard Reid, in Boston.
In fact, over the last nine years, hundreds of terrorism suspects have been tried in federal criminal court – and 88 percent of them have been convicted and are now in prison.
Over the same period, by contrast, only three suspects have been tried in military tribunals – and only one of them is behind bars.
But, even though he was only following procedures established by George Bush and Dick Cheney, Republicans accused Obama of being soft on terror.
And now, instead of sticking to his guns and doing what’s right, it looks like Obama’s caving in: taking the case out of New York City, out of criminal court, and into some secret military tribunal.
If so, again, he’s making a big mistake. These terrorists are not soldiers in any army. They don’t deserve the honor of a military tribunal.
That’s my parting shot for today.
